We all applied for the project “Teaching English in Laos” last summer/autumn and were extremely glad when we heard that we had been accepted and invited to goto Laos. After many preparational classes and workshops in Prof. Martin’s “Global English” seminar, and lately many meetings and studying our predecessors’ weekly reports and other fine work both on this blog and on our new internal CMS (Content Management system = working platform) alfresco, we feel ready to take the challenge, prove ourselves, and tackle the project head-on.

Dear Lao teacher-students: We know that it must be hard getting used to a new team every time, so we will try our best to make the transition as smoothas possible for everyone. We hope that you are looking forward to meeting us as much as we are to meeting you!

Well then, time to introduce ourselves!

Julia Grüttner (Sikeud Secondary School, Sikeud Primary School)

Sabaidee! Hello dear all!

My name is Julia Grüttner and I am 25 years old. I will become a primary teacher and my main subjects are English and art. Art, history and politics are very interesting for me. I like riding my bike, walking, hiking, and swimming.
My main school will be the Sikeud secondary school and I am going to work with Mr Sackbong Boulapan and Mr Vienglakhone Keopaseud. I hope we will have fun together, support each other, and that you can improve your English skills further with my assistance. In addition to that I will teach some of the preschoolpupils (“Mopsies”). Furthermore I will support my team being the housekeeper, therefore I am excited to spend time with Madame Engel and Ms Bouangeun Hanthavong, go to markets to do the shopping, and cook with the others.
Finally I am looking forward to coming to Laos because I am very interested in your culture and your traditions. In addition to that, this journey is my first one to an Asian country, therefore I am also keen to learn and observe everything about landscapes, animals, and food.

Anna Hajek (Lao-German Technical College)

Sabaidee! My name is Anna and I am 22 years old. I study in Karlsruhe to become a primary school teacher with the majors German and politics as well as maths as minor. Together with Tasja and Ben I will be teaching English at the Lao-German Technical College in Vientiane. I will manage the Beginner classes A&B and also offer lessons to the BHS students, prepare several workshops for the staff and organize a new “Spotlight English” evening (the former “Conversation Club”) at the college. I will be working with Mr Saythong Insarn when he has time and I am very excited to get to know him.
Besides my tasks at the college, I am the LGTC “media master”, i.e. in charge of saving new files on our external hard drive (for project documentation and future use, e.g. sharing files for workshops or blog articles), and keeping it updated. This makes us independent of our CMS alfresco, for which a reliable Internet connection is a necessary condition – which, apparently, is not guaranteed on campus.
I am looking forward to working with the teachers and students from the college and I am positive we will have a great time together.

Isabell Kämmer (Ban Phang Heng Secondary School)

Sabaidee! Hi, my name is Isabell and I am 23 years old. I study education with the main subjects English, ethics and history. Next to my studies of education I also study psychology. I am going to work at Ban Phang Heng Lower Secondary School. Furthermore, for my special task I am responsible for the Lending Library and the Didactics Room.My tandem teachers are Mr Bounleud Sengsavangvong, Ms Souksakhone Sindavan, and Ms Donekeo Keositthivong and I look forward to working together with them over the next couple of months. Together we are going to prepare lessons and develop didactic materials for English classes. In my free time I like doing sports as well as dancing and meeting my friends. I am excited to work with the Lao teachers and I am sure that we all will have an unforgettable time.

See you soon!

Tasja Reule (Lao-German Technical College)

Hello everyone, my name is Tasja and I am 22 years old. I am currently in my fifth semester at the University of Education in Karlsruhe. My subjects are English and biology. In my free time I love doing sports and dancing Hip-Hop. I have never been to an Asian country, therefore I am very excited to get to know the Laotian school system as well as the everyday life and culture.
Together with Anna and Ben I will be teaching at the Lao-German Technical College in Vientiane. Besides teaching some of the BHS students and two Elementary teacher-student classes, I am very happy to be assisting and supporting my Lao tandem-teachers Mr Thavone Sonavoung and Ms Akina Yadsadahuk. I am very excited to get to know both of them !
Anna, Ben and I will also restructure the former “Conversation Club” into “Spotlight English” evenings. For my special task I will take care of the Lending Library , the Didactics Room, and our regular team meetings.

I am very happy to have the opportunity to work with the Lao teachers and pupils and am looking forward to meeting everybody!

See you soon!

Shirin Ud-Din (Ban Phang Heng Secondary School)

Sabaidee! Hello, my name is Shirin and I am 22 years old. I study education with the main subjects English and biology in Karlsruhe. I am happy to participate in the project and grateful to have the possibility towork in Laos. I will teach the science teachers Mr Sackbong Boulapan, Ms Chanmany Thippachan, and Ms Khamsee Thanbounhueang at Phang Heng Secondary School and I am very excited to get to know them. For my special task, I am responsible for the “Science Laboratory” and I will offer an “Activity Time” in which the pupils can try out experiments. I am excited to work with the Lao teachers and cannot wait to start the project because it is a great opportunity to share – and test – my didactic and specialist knowledge with the Lao-teachers.
Besides, I love travelling to Asia, so I am looking forward to getting to know Laos, because it is a country I have not visited yet. In my free time I love dancing Zumba,which is aerobic combined with Latin American dances, spending time with my friends, and trying out international recipes, which is why I am looking forward to tasting Lao cuisine.

Ben Martin (Lao-German Technical College)

Sabaidee and hello everyone!

My name is Ben and I am 23 years old. I have been studying English and anthropology at Heidelberg university for twoyears now, and I am very excited to apply myself to this unique project. In my spare time, I like to work out, cook, go out with friends, visit music festivals, watch TV series/films, and read books. A few months ago, I began doing a bit of political education work with a youth organisation, and I enjoy it very much. Spicy food is my favourite, and I am curious to discover the flavours of Lao cuisine!

I am happy that this journey is beginning so soon. My name is Svenja, and I am a 26-year-old student in the European teaching program for primary schools. I love using songs and dancing to get people excited about the English language in a fun and motivating way, which I was invited to do as a workshop for the Laos applicants in Prof. Martin’s last “Global English” seminar, thus I am very curious to seehow my experience in Laos will unfold.
My focus for the next months will be teaching the preschool children, the “Mopsies“as well as workingwith my tandem teacher Ms Bounpheng Singhalaht,who I am very excited to meet. In the afternoon, I will conduct the “ABC Club” and the “Singlish” Activity Time. Furthermore, together with Ben I will be one of the two new blog masters for this site, so you will be hearing more from me soon.

To me, the most unique part of this project is how close I will be able to work with the people in Laos. My hope is for everyone involved to have an enriching and enjoyable experience.

Fabian Stober (Ban Phang Heng Secondary & Primary School)

Hello everybody,

My name is Fabian, I am 26 years old and I just finished my fifth semester at the University of Education in Karlsruhe. I major in English and mathematics and study to become a primary school teacher. Most of my time I will spend at Ban Phang Heng Secondary School to work with the mathematics teachers Mr Vienglakhone Keopaseud, Mr Thongsing Sinnaphisith, Ms Toukham Chanthavong, and Ms Nalee Vonekhamxai (cf. our non-English teachers introduced by Team III).For the first time in this project, after the English and science lessons, now mathematics lessons are to be developed, and so I will work with the maths teachers on material preparation and lesson planning. I am very excited and cannot wait to meet my tandem-teachers.
For four hours a week I will support Svenja and Julia with the “Mopsies“. Like Anna for the LGTC, I am responsible for the documentation of the project at Ban Sikeud and Ban Phang Heng.
This is going to be my first time ever to Asia and I am stoked to dive into the culture and everyday life and – like eveverybody else, it seems – the food!

Finally, all of us would like to express our gratitude towards Professor Martin and the Angels for Children Foundation for this unique opportunity. We are confident that we will meet your expectations and will try our best!